Take-apart toy in which a whistle is caused to sound by piston action during assembly and disassembly



June 30, 1964 R. GAUSEWITZ 3,138,895

TAKE-APART TOY IN WHICH A WHISTLE IS CAUSED TO SOUND BY PISTON ACTION DURING ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 14, 1961 I I I I I a I u I I I u l n I u I l I u I I a I United States Patent 3,138,895 TAKE-APART TOY IN WHICH A WHISTLE IS CAUSED TO SOUND BY PISTON ACTIGN DUR- ING ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY Richard L. Gausewitz, 227 Halyard Lane, Orange, Calif. Filed Nov. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 152,354 Claims. (Cl. 46175) This invention relates to a take-apart whistling toy wherein the whistle operates by piston action. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, a substantial number of elements are inserted into a container and are adapted to be removed completely therefrom. In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a single large object is adapted to be inserted only partially into a container, such container and the partially-inserted object then operating as a roly poly.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application Serial No. 68,434 tfiled November 10, 1960, now abandoned, for Combination Whistling Play Bottle and Roly Poly Toy, which application is in turn a continuation-in-part of co-pending patent application Serial No. 14,481, filed March 11, 1960, now Patent No. 2,959,889, issued November 15, 1960, for Toy Embody-ing Whistle Operated by Gravitational Out flow of Water While the Toy is in the Air.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy which satisfies the desire of a child to assemble and disassemble, and which provides a whistle action during assembly and disassembly in order to surprise and entertain the child.

A further object is to provide a toy incorporating an elongated body or container adapted to contain objects, such as large blow-molded snap beads, in free-moving relationship except at a neck portion disposed adjacent the open end of the container.

A further object is to provide a toy adapted to receive 'a plurality of objects, such toy having a constricted portion which is so related to the contained objects that a piston action Will result during assembly and disassembly and thereby effect sounding of a whistle means.

A further object is to provide a toy incorporating a container adapted by piston action to effect sounding of a whistle during insertion of a large objects therein, in combination with means to permit withdrawal of objects from the container.

Another object is to provide a toy which operates both as a play bottle and as a roly poly, yet which incorporates play features not found in either a play bottle or a roly poly.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following specification and claims, considered in connection with the attached drawing to which they relate.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, illustrating a first embodiment of a take-apart toy adapted to effect sounding of a whistle by piston action during assembly and disassembly;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of the toy, wherein removable cover means are provided to permit withdrawal of objects from a large container after whistling insertion of such objects therein;

FIGURE 3 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a combination play bottle and roly poly adapted to effect sounding of a whistle during assembly and disassembly; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational View illustrating a valve means for incorporation in the embodiment of FIGURE 3, thereby providing a chattering whistle action.

Referring first to the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the toy is illustrated to comprise an elongated container or 3,138,895 Patented June 30, 1964 body 19 having a neck or throat 11 adjacent one end thereof. The body is substantially sealed or closed except at the neck or throat 11 and except at opening means 12 provided through the Wall of the container, preferably at the other end thereof as illustrated. The illustrated opening means 12 are through a double-disc whistle formed by a cap 13 the rim of which is crimped at 14 over the neck of the container. A disc 16 is seated sealingly between the cap 13 and the container, such disc having a bulge portion 17 which cooperates with the cap in defining the whistle chamber 18 between the cap and disc. The opening means 12 is adapted to effect sounding of the whistle in response to relatively low airflow therethrough, suitable opening means having a diameter of The illustrated container or body 10 is blow-molded of soft, transparent low-density polyethylene, the whistle being at what is normally the neck of a blow-molded bottle. The neck or throat 11, on the other hand, is adjaoent what is normally the bottom of the bottle, such bottom being cut out at 19 to permit insertion of piston objects into the throat 11. Alternatively, throat 11 may be located at what is normally the bottle neck, and may be thickened and reamed to precise diameter.

The piston-like objects inserted into and withdrawn from the body comprise blow-molded giant snap beads 21 each of which has a male component 22 at one end and a female component 23 at the other. As illustrated at the lower portion of FIGURE 1, the components 22 and 23 are adapted to be snapped together and apart to provide jointed connections between the beads in a manner known to the art. Male components 22 are fiat or disc-shaped, not spherical, to facilitate the snap action. Both the male and female components have bulge portions adjacent their ends, to permit a child to obtain a strong finger-grip thereon during withdrawal from the container 10 through the throat 11. As indicated, the snap beads are blow-molded of low-density polyethylene. The male components may also be solid, not hollow as shown.

The throat or neck 11 has a cylindrical portion 24 which may be for example, approximately 1" long and which has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of each snap bead 21. Such snap beads have cylindrical body portions and have tapered or rounded edges 26 adapted to facilitate feeding into the cylindrical portion of the throat or neck. In addition, the throat or neck has tapered or frustoconical feed portions 27 and 28 which facilitate insertion of each bead and withdrawal thereof.

insert (for example, injection molded) may be provided in the throat in sealing relation therewith, such insert having an inner diameter which is precisely known. Furthermore, to aid in the sealing action at the throat as each head is pushed or pulled therethrough, each bead may have one or more annular ridges thereon which operate in the nature of O-rings. The result is that a slidingsealing fit is provided between the external portions of the beads and the internal portion of the throat or neck 11. This fit is sufliciently loose, however, that a small child may insert and Withdraw beads with relative ease. The larger the diameter of the beads and throat, and the more sensitive the whistle, the less amount of sealing is required. It has been found that a suitable diameter for the beads is between two and three inches.

It is to be understood that the container 10 may be sufliciently long to receive a substantial number of beads, for example 4 or 5. It is also to be understood that suitable stop means may be provided relatively adjacent the whistle cap 13-16 to prevent the innermost bead 21 from blocking air flow to and through the whistle, even when the body is vertically arranged with the whistle at the lower end.

The term whistle is hereby defined to include not only the illustrated double-disc type but also the type normally employed with steam. Furthermore, as the term is employed in the claims, various reed-type elements such as are frequently employed with infants squeeze toys are comprehended.

Operation, Embodiment of FIGURE 1 Before a bead 21 is inserted into the container 10, the child may sound the whistle by putting his mouth thereover and blowing.

When a single bead 21 is inserted through the throat 11, air is expelled through the whistle openings 12 to sound the whistle. After the bead is within the main body of the container 10, it is free to move longitudinally but may not become sufiiciently cocked or oblique relative to the axis of body 10 that it will stick therein. It is emphasized that although the body is substantially larger in diameter than the beads, except at throat 11, it is not sufficiently larger that the beads may assume angular positions sufiicient to cause sticking.

It is a feature of the invention that the relatively large diameter of the majority of body 10 permits free movement of the beads therein despite any out-of-roundness of the body. Thus, to remove the single bead from the body it is merely necessary for the child to either put his hand through the throat 11 and grasp whichever end 22 or 23 is adjacent the throat, or else elevate the whistle end of the toy until the bead 21 drops by gravity to the vicinity of the throat. After the bead has reached the vicinity of the throat, the adjacent end 22 or 23 may be readily grasped by the fingers due to the bulging nature thereof with indented portion immediately adjacent the bead body.

It is emphasized that the large diameter of body 10 permits air to flow to the whistle in response to passage of a bead through the neck, despite the fact that other beads are present in the container. Thus, piston action only occurs at neck 11, and the results of such piston action are at all times freely transmitted to the Whistle, regardless of the relatively full or empty condition of the toy.

In the described manner a plurality of the beads may be inserted or withdrawn, even though the beads are not snapped together as illustrated. The beads may be also snapped together, to the illustrated positions, and inserted or withdrawn in a series or chain. This provides a rapid series of whistle toots in a highly entertaining manner. The whistle action is interrupted during the interval required for at least a part of the space between adjacent beads to traverse the cylindrical portion 24 of the throat. For a relatively long interval between each toot, the cylinder 24 is greatly shortened.

In the described manner, the whistle is sounded during both insertion and withdrawal of a bead or string thereof through the throat 11. If the whistle is of the reed type, a two-tone reed may be provided to provide one tone when a bead is inserted and a different tone when the bead is withdrawn.

The beads 21 may also be strung into long chains, necklaces, etc., for play independently of the body 10. Furthermore, any bead may be used to plug neck 11, making the container a squeeze-whistle toy and producing an educational result since the child must learn to plug the neck before squeeze operation will work.

Embodiment of FIGURE 2 FIGURE 2 illustrates a large rectangular box or container 31 which may be formed of wood, plastic, etc., and which has a hinged cover mounted thereover. A suitable seal or gasket (not shown) is provided between the box and the cover to prevent excessive leakage of air 'therebetween, and a suitable latch (preferably magnetic) is provided at 33 to maintain the cover sealingly adjacent the rim of the box at all times except when the cover is intentionally pivoted upwardly to open the box.

A whistle 34, for example corresponding to the one 13-16 shown at the upper portion of FIGURE 1, is provided in the wall of the box (or cover) at an opening therein. An opening 36 is provided in the box or cover (being illustrated in the cover) or lid and is sufficiently large to receive piston objects such as beads 21 or, in the illustrated form, cylindrical wooden pegs 37 having relatively large diameters such as 3 inches.

A sealing element 38 is provided in the opening 36, having an inner diameter which corresponds to the outer diameter of each peg 37 whereby a sliding sealing fit is provided when a peg is inserted through the opening 36 into the container. It follows that piston action results to effect sounding of the whistle 34. After a substantial number of the pegs 37 have been thus inserted, the cover is lifted and the pegs are withdrawn for a subsequent play cycle.

Embodiment of FIGURE 3 FIGURE 3 illustrates a combination play bottle and roly poly and corresponds generally to the toy shown in FIGURE 17 of the above-cited patent. A cylindrical blow-molded polyethylene bottle 41, comprising a play bottle containing wooden pegs 42, incorporates a whistling cap 43 as described in the cited patent. Such cap may be the same as 13-16, except that it is removably threaded into place. The bottle has holes 44 and 45 formed therethrough in the end remote from the neck. The relationship between the whistle cap 43 and the holes 44 and 45 (or other holes, not shown) is preferably the same as that described in the patent, in order that the bottle will produce a warble-whistle action when played with in a body of water such as a play pool or bathtub.

The bottle 41 is slidably and sealingly inserted through the round neck portion of a blow-molded polyethylene container 48. Both the bottle and the container 48 may be formed of high-density polyethylene having sufficient wall thickness that insertion and withdrawal of the bottle may be accomplished without excessive distortion of the bottle or container.

The lower portion of the container 48 is a hemisphere 49 the center of which is disposed generally at the axis of bottle 41 when the bottle is inserted in the container. Mounted at the pole portion of hemisphere 49, beneath the bottom wall of the bottle, is a disc-shaped weight 51 adapted to provide a roly-poly action when the bottle is inserted in the container. Thus, even though the bottle is tilted to a substantial angle, the weight 51 operates upon release of the bottle to return the assembly to a substantial vertical position. The operation of the weight 51 is aided by the weight of a plurality of the pegs 42 which (as previously indicated) are disposed in the bottle and are adapted to be inserted through one or more of the holes 44 and 45 as described in the cited patent. During the roly-poly operation, the pegs make rattling no1ses.

With the described construction, the toy operates not only as a roly-poly, but the whistle cap 43 sounds each time the bottle is inserted into or withdrawn from the container. The whistling is due to piston action, the displaced air being forced through the openings or holes 44 and 45 to sound the whistle. During withdrawal of the bottle, the weight 51 provides the effect of gravitationally holding the container down while the bottle is being lifted.

It is a feature of the illustrated invention that the weight 51 need not be riveted into position but is merely snapped in place. For this purpose, a plurality (preferably three) of recesses 52 are formed at l20-degree spaced portions of the interior of the hemisphere 49. Such recesses form on the interior of the bottle corresponding bulge or lip portions into which the disc-shaped metal weight 51 may be readily snapped after insertion through the neck of the container. Alternatively, the recess 52 may be a continuous annular groove, the disc 51 formed of flexible acetate or the like, and the space therebeneath filled with sand to form the weight. The plastic disc then seals the sand in place.

It is to be understood that a whistle may be incorporated in the wall of the container 48, and that the holes 44 and 45 may be omitted.

Embodiment of FIGURE 4 The embodiment of FIGURE 4 is identical to that of FIGURE 3 except that a one-way valve 53 is provided at point X which is indicated in FIGURE 3. The Valve effects a varying whistle action when the bottle is inserted into the container. Valve 53 comprises a ball 54 disposed in a perforated cage 55 which is riveted to the container 48 over a hole 57 therein. A ball 54 is selected which has such a weight (or else a spring bias) that it will chatter on its seat, that is to say on the container portion around hole 57, during insertion of the bottle into the container. Such chattering of the ball effects variation in the rate of air escape through hole 57, and thus variation of the pressure within the container. This effects changes in the rate of air flow through the whistle cap, so that a constantly changing whistling sound results. If desired, a corresponding valve, but opening in the other direction, may be provided on the container to effect the whistle-varying action when the bottle is withdrawn.

It is a feature of the embodiments of FIGURES 3 and 4 that the container 48 will float high and upright while on the surface of a body of water, as in a bathtube or play pool. Thus, such container may serve as a floating re ceptacle for bottle 41 during water play.

One or more valves 53 may also be incorporated in container 10, FIGURE 1.

Various embodiments of the present invention, in addition to what has been illustrated and described in detail, may be employed without departing from the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A take-apart whistling toy, which comprises a plurality of elongated piston-like play objects adapted to be readily manipulated by a small child, an elongated container the major portion of which has a diameter substantially greater than that of said objects whereby said objects may move freely therein and air may at all times fiow freely therein, said container being sufficiently long to receive simultaneously a plurality of said play objects, said diameter of said major portion of said container being sufiiciently small that said objects may not become cocked and stuck therein but instead will remain generally coaxial with said container, said container having at one end portion thereof a throat adapted to sequentially receive in sliding and substantially sealing relationship each of said objects whereby a piston action results upon movement of said objects through said throat, the diameters of said objects and of said throat being sufiiciently large that movement of said objects in said throat will create an air-pressure change in said entire container sufficient to sound a whistle, and whistle means responsive to displacement of air caused by said piston action to effect a child-entertaining whistle noise.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said last-named means comprises a whistle mounted in the wall of said container and communicating with the ambient atmosphere.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 2, in which said objects and container are formed of blow-molded plastic.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which a portion of said container adjacent said throat is shaped to elfect feeding of each of said objects into said throat.

5. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said objects are provided at each end thereof with portions adapted to be grasped by a child to thereby facilitate manual withdrawal of said objects through said throat.

6. A childrens take-apart whistling toy, which comprises an elongated plastic container having a reduceddiameter neck at one end thereof, a whistle mounted in the wall of said container and adapted to sound in response to passage of piston-like objects through said neck, and a plurality of plastic snap beads each having a male portion and a female portion adapted to snap together and apart, each of said beads also having an enlarged pistonlike central portion adapted to fit slidingly and substantially sealingly in said neck to provide a piston action effecting sounding of said whistle in response to movement of said beads through said neck, said container being sufficiently long to receive simultaneously a plurality of said snap beads.

7. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which the diameter of said container other than at said neck is sufficiently large to permit air flow therethrough and free movement of each of said beads therein but sufficiently small to prevent said beads from assuming a transverse position relative to said container and thereby becoming stuck therein.

8. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which the diameters of said enlarged central portions of said beads and of said neck are sufficiently large to effect sounding of said whistle in response to relatively slow movement of any of said beads through said neck.

9. A childrens take-apart toy, which comprises a lightweight container which is sufliciently small to be manipulated by a child, such container being substantially sealed except for a relatively large opening therein, said container being necked-down at said opening whereby the cross-sectional area of at least a major portion of the chamber within said container is substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of said opening, a plurality of objects adapted to be inserted sequentially into said container through said opening and thereafter sequentially withdrawn from said container through said opening, the relative sizes of said objects and of said chamber within said container being such that a plurality of said objects may be simultaneously disposed Within said chamber, each of said objects being adapted to be slidably received in said opening and to at least substantially entirely fill the same whereby movement of each of said objects in said opening during insertion into or withdrawal from said container will effect substantial variation in the air pres sure in said entire chamber, said opening being sufficient- 1y large in cross-sectional area that said variation in said air pressure will be sufiicient to sound a child-entertaining whistle means, and whistle means responsive to said substantial variation in the air pressure in said container to create a child-entertaining sound in response to movement of each of said objects in said opening.

10. A childrens take-apart toy, which comprises a lightweight container which is suificiently small to be manipulated by a child, such container being substantially sealed except for a relatively large opening therein, said container being necked-down at said opening whereby the cross-sectional area of at least a major portion of the chamber defined within said container is substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of said opening, a plurality of objects adapted to be inserted sequentially into said container through said opening, the relative sizes of said objects and of said chamber within said container being such that a plurality of said objects may be simultaneously disposed within said container, each of said objects being adapted to be slidably received in said opening and to at least substantially sealingly fill the same whereby movement of each of said objects in said opening during insertion into said container will effect substantial variation in the air pressure in said entire chamber, said opening being sufficiently large in cross-sectional area that said variation in said air pressure will be sufficient to operate a child-entertaining means, and childentertaining means responsive to said substantial variation in the air pressure in said chamber to create a childsaid objects in said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Leggett May 15, 1883 Irving Oct. 12, 1897 Lawson Dec. 8, 1942 Duncan Oct. 18, 1949 10 Bennett July 25, 1950 Graham Aug. 12, 1952 8 Toombs et a1 Jan. 27, 1953 Move June 23, 1953 Moore Sept. 13, 1955 Salosky Aug. 27, 1957 Ford Sept. 17, 1957 Green Nov. 26, 1957 Carson May 6, 1958 Cohen Nov. 17, 1959 Collischan Sept. 27, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 8, 1959 

10. A CHILDREN''S TAKE-APART TOY, WHICH COMPRISES A LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINER WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY SMALL TO BE MANIPULATED BY A CHILD, SUCH CONTAINER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SEALED EXCEPT FOR A RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING THEREIN, SAID CONTAINER BEING NECKED-DOWN AT SAID OPENING WHEREBY THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE CHAMBER DEFINED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER IS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID OPENING, A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED SEQUENTIALLY INTO SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID OPENING, THE RELATIVE SIZES OF SAID OBJECTS AND OF SAID CHAMBER WITHIN SAID CONTAINER BEING SUCH THAT A PLURALITY OF SAID OBJECTS MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID OBJECTS BEING ADAPTED TO BE SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID OPENING AND TO AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY SEALINGLY FILL THE SAME WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF EACH OF SAID OBJECTS IN SAID OPENING DURING INSERTION INTO SAID CONTAINER WILL EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION IN THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID ENTIRE CHAMBER, SAID OPENING BEING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE IN CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAT SAID VARIATION IN SAID AIR PRESSURE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO OPERATE A CHILD-ENTERTAINING MEANS, AND CHILDENTERTAINING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION IN THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER TO CREATE A CHILDENTERTAINING EFFECT IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF EACH OF SAID OBJECTS IN SAID OPENING. 